This Italian Sausage and Pepper Bruschetta is a heartier take on classic tomato bruschetta, and perfect for using up those late summer veggies. 

This is down home, hearty, comin’ in from a hard day’s work food.

It’s pickin the last of summer’s harvest, tired bones, weathered skin, worn flannel shirt kind of food.

It’s summer colliding into fall in a mess of tomatoes, zucchini, sausage, and beef.

This is one of the first dishes I prepared as a newlywed. I found it in my Betty Crocker Cookbook (Bridal Edition, of course), and thought it seemed simple enough for a newbie like me.

I remember putting everything together, frying up the beef and onions, the smell of the garlic, the thick red tomato sauce binding everything together.

And I remember how proud I was when I served this for dinner. This, my friends, was no Hamburger Helper. This was a real, legit, homemade meal.

And man, was it delicious.

The Mr. and I agreed, this recipe was a definite keeper.

Despite it’s successful debut, it’s been years since I made the dish, and I finally decided it was time to revisit it. I have a little more culinary knowledge under my belt now so I felt like I could adapt this for our tastes.

The main change? Substituting Italian sausage for some of the ground beef.

Best. decision. ever.

I love the boost of flavor and warmth Italian sausage adds to a dish, especially this time of year. It ups the hearty quotient of this dish by about a trillion.

This is rich, cozy, fall food. Piled high on a piece of buttery, toasted bread this meal will satisfy a hungry belly in the best of ways.

Though the recipe below uses canned tomatoes, you can certainly substitute the last of your garden’s tomatoes instead. Still have zucchini? A few more bell peppers? Carrots or celery? Throw them in too. Use the leftovers as a thick sauce for pasta or even as a pizza topping with lots of mozzarella cheese.

This dish only takes about 30 minutes to make, so you can throw it together on a dark chilly evening then have plenty of time to cozy up with a blanket and a good movie.

I think I’m going to like this whole fall thing.

Adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook